This invention relates to devices for manually whisking liquids or semi-liquids such as for example milk, egg whites or salad dressings into a frothy or otherwise mixed condition. The use of such devices enables suitable liquids or semi-liquids to be completely aerated, such as whipped egg white, partially aerated, such as hot milk for cappuccino coffee, or simply well blended or homogenised, such as salad dressings.
Such whisking devices have been known for many years. Today, devices powered by electric motors are common, and manual whisking devices are not as much in favour as they were twenty or thirty years ago. One reason for this is that manual devices have not been particularly easy to use or to clean. Another reason is that devices for single-handed use have not been particularly effective, and have required concerted wrist action for a substantial length of time to attain a satisfactorily high degree of frothing.
A traditional device for single-handed operation consists of a plurality of stainless steel loops joined at their ends in a coiled steel handle. However, as mentioned above, a good deal of practice and of wrist strength is required before the device can be used to anything approaching satisfaction.
A device for double-handed use was proposed in GB706803. It consists of a plurality of metal coils fixed to the base of a rotatable shaft, rotation being achieved by means of a cog mounted on the upper end of the shaft and driven by a crown wheel worked by a handle. Devices of this general kind have been common, but they suffer from the following drawbacks.
Firstly, they consist of a number of moving and fixed parts which have to be manufactured and then assembled. This makes them costly. Secondly, they are not particularly easy to operate and can be quite tiring to the hands. Thirdly, they have many surfaces which are virtually inaccessible for cleaning and drying purposes. Fourthly, their ungainly shape and size makes for inconvenience in storage.